Protect Your Home from Flood Damage

1. Gauge Your Home’s Flood Risk – Is my house in a flood zone? 

Every home has some flood risk. Find out if yours is in a high, moderate, or low-risk flood zone. Even if you’re not in a high-risk flood zone, your home may still be vulnerable. Check To verify your flood risk:  

• Check your address by entering it into FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. Note: If a home is in a 100-year floodplain, it would take a 1-in-100 year flood event for your home to flood. This means it has a 1% chance of flooding in any given year, not that it will flood once in 100 years.  
  • Examples: 
    • 1-in-100 year event is 1/100 = 0.01 or a 1% chance of a flood each year
    • 1-in-500 year event is 1/500 = 0.002 or .2% chance of a flood each year 
• Visit  floodsmart.gov  to learn more about risk in your area. Refer to the map legend to see if colors or stripes cover your location. If so, you have some level of flood risk. 
• Understand your home’s Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Homes should sit at least 3 feet above the BFE to account for higher-than-expected flood levels. 
• Get an elevation certificate that documents your property’s First Floor Height (FFH) and adjacent elevation that protects it from flood damage, which may help lower flood insurance costs.  
  • Contact your city/county’s building, permitting, or land use department to see if they have an elevation certificate on file. 
  • If unavailable, hire a land surveyor, engineer, or architect to complete one.  

2. Purchase Flood Insurance  

Water that enters a home from the ground up is considered flooding, and that damage is only covered by a separate flood insurance policy, not a standard homeowner policy. While flood insurance is required in high-risk zones with active mortgages, nearly one in four flood claims come from outside these areas.  

• Call your agent and ask specifically about purchasing a flood insurance policy, because this is not included in a standard homeowners property insurance policy. 
• Check NFIP coverage options at https://www.floodsmart.gov/, then compare policies through private insurance agents or companies. 
• Confirm your hurricane insurance details. Most policies do not cover flooding, so purchase a separate flood insurance policy even if you have hurricane coverage. 

 

3. Document & Safeguard Valuables 

• Store important documents (passports, birth certificates, and insurance papers) in a watertight safe or safety deposit box. Do not store items in a basement. Keep digital copies. 
• Use waterproof bins on elevated storage shelves for seasonal items. 
• Create a home inventory with photos or video of belongings (e.g., appliances, furniture, electronics) to simplify insurance claims after a loss. 

 

4. Elevate Utilities & Critical Systems 

• Raise your HVAC units, water heaters, and electronics to higher levels, build higher platforms, or protect them with reliable floodwall barriers.
• Hire a licensed electrician to raise outlets, switches, and circuit breakers at least 12 inches above your home’s BFE. 
• Place all appliances, (washer, dryer, and stove) on masonry blocks or platforms.  

 

5. Clean Gutters & Ensure Proper Drainage 

• Clean gutters, downspouts, and drains regularly. Consider installing gutter guards to reduce maintenance. 
• Direct downspouts to divert water at least 3 feet away from your foundation.  
• Directing water away from your house reduces the risk of foundation damage and increases the longevity of the foundation. 
• Check the grading around your home: The ground should slope away from the foundation to prevent pooling near the structure. Add soil if needed to improve the slope and drainage. 

 

6. Protect Basements & Crawlspaces 

• Hire a licensed plumber to install a sewer backflow prevention valve. This keeps sewage from entering your basement and keeps floor drains from backing up during heavy rain.  
• Seal basement walls and floors with waterproofing compounds. Water often seeps in through cracks, so reseal new leaks promptly if they appear after storms. 
• Test your sump pump regularly and check backup batteries to ensure they are working.   
• Install flood vents in crawlspaces so water can flow through rather than build up pressure, which helps prevent structural damage.  

 

7. Anchor Large Fuel Tanks 

• Secure large fuel tanks to prevent them from floating, rupturing, or leaking hazardous contents during a flood. 

 

8. Elevate Your Home 

• Raising your home above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) can significantly reduce flood risk and may lower your flood insurance premium. However, elevating a home can be costly for existing structures.  

 

9. Have A Family Emergency Plan 

• Create a plan your family and friends can follow. Choose a safe meeting location and determine an out of affected area contact.  
• If you live near the coast, plan an inland evacuation location.  
• Prepare an emergency kit with at least 3 days of supplies: 
  • Food, water, and medicine.  
  • Flashlights, batteries, blankets, and gloves.  
  • First aid kit and a NOAA weather radio.  
  • Essentials for family members and pets.